Know How / Environment Must reads Practical adviceSee all BUSINESSRural housing: Options to decarbonise and improve efficiencyFrom period farmhouses to farmworkers’ cottages, rural housing comes in many shapes and sizes, but they all share similar challenges when it comes to energy. Rural properties off the mains… ARABLEHow 'mega-cluster' project benefits farming and natureA project linking farmers and private investors across a 12,500ha area of Sussex is aiming to support nature recovery and food production on a landscape scale. The Weald to Waves… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTHow to improve livestock soils with biological approachSoil is a precious resource, but it very quickly becomes a pollutant and a problem once it reaches watercourses. It has to be kept on the farm. This is the… BUSINESSWoodland creation - tax, legal and practical adviceBy 2050, 16.5% of the UK will be covered by trees - that is the government’s aspiration. Tree cover currently sits at 10% in England, so there is some way… ARABLEHow to restore 'forgotten' farm ponds for wildlifeAs many as two-thirds of farmland ponds in England and Wales have been lost though drainage and in-filling, while those that remain are often shaded and tree-covered and do very… PIGSBenefits of grass leys for outdoor pig unitsGrass mixes can establish well and withstand grazing by outdoor pigs, helping protect soils and watercourses, a three-year trial has shown. The trial took place in north Norfolk on 16ha… Case studiesSee all BIODIVERSITYWild grey partridge project promotes biodiversity and profitA decade-long wild grey partridge project establishing cover crop field margins at a Scottish farming estate has proved an effective way to promote biodiversity and reap an economic return. Balgonie… COVER CROPSCover crop trial reveals impact of grazing on nitratesSince winning the title of Farmers Weekly Environmental Farmers of the Year, Emma and James Loder-Symonds have been busy trialling the impact of grazing cover crops. The cover crop trial… CARBONWorld’s first verified carbon-negative tree nursery foundedThe world’s first verified carbon-negative tree nursery, founded by farmer’s son Renwick Drysdale in Scotland, is seeking to help meet surging demand for tree planting and habitat restoration projects. The… CARBONHow Arable Insights farmers approach carbon opportunitiesFrom selling carbon credits to receiving premiums for commodities grown in a climate-friendly way, the potential upside to farming carbon is becoming clearer. But only one of Farmers Weekly’s Arable… FEED AND NUTRITIONHow high-yielding dairy cut soya and lowered crude proteinRemoving soya feeds and unnecessary additives from the diet, as well as steadily reducing crude protein levels, have been done without increasing farm costs or compromising production in one Dorset… LIVESTOCKHow breeders are using methane test in wool-shedding projectA farming duo has added methane testing to its breeding programme in a quest to develop low-input sheep with low methane emissions. Shropshire sheep and arable farmer Hayden Woolley and… InsightsSee all CARBONAnalysis: Can Welsh tree cover plans work for farmers?One of the most repeated complaints about the Welsh government’s plans for future rural support is that farmers will be required to plant 10% of their land with trees and… ARABLEHow arable farms can support farmland bird populationsA good, varied arable rotation, along with winter bird food stewardship options and a variety of hedges, will provide most of what farmland birds need to survive and thrive. Adding… DAIRYRevised methane method pegs dairy emissions 20% lowerNet carbon emissions from a sample of livestock farms fell significantly when analysed by a carbon methodology that accounts for biogenic methane. Distinguishing between biogenic (methane from ruminants) and fossil… BUSINESS MANAGEMENTHow supply chain is meeting UN sustainable development goalsThe UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) are rising up the agenda of businesses that buy from UK farmers and supply them with goods and services. Set out in 2015, they are… ARABLEThe network nature reserve built by farmers on arable landSupporting nature in a productive farmed landscape is the goal for a like-minded group of farmers in East Anglia, having come together to protect and enhance the biodiversity that surrounds… AGRICULTURAL TRANSITIONHow trading natural capital can help recoup BPS lossesFarmer interest in trading natural capital is in the ascendancy. Legislation has just been passed requiring house builders and commercial developers to deliver at least a 10% improvement in biodiversity… NEWSWould river dredging help prevent flooding on farms?The recent storms Babet and Ciaran unleashed widespread flooding on agricultural land across the UK, costing farmers millions of pounds in crop losses and damage to infrastructure. Climate scientists warn… SLURRY AND MANURE MANAGEMENTHow water treatment technology could cut slurry storageAdapting water treatment technology to a farm setting could reduce slurry storage requirements by 10-15%, make better use of farm nutrients and produce an effluent that is suitable for discharge… Latest environment newsSee all NEWSWild Justice launches legal action over Dartmoor grazingWild Justice is taking legal action against the Dartmoor Commoners’ Council (DCC) in the High Court, alleging it has failed to meet its statutory duties in maintaining the commons and… WILDLIFEWildlife group urges widespread introduction of beaversReleasing beavers into the wild in England and Wales, rather than confining them to enclosures, would have huge environmental benefits and should be pursued vigorously by the government, according to… ENVIRONMENT£15m of public money invested in search for meat alternativesA research centre looking into meat alternatives at the University of Leeds is to receive £15m in funding over the next five years through the UK government’s innovation agency, Innovate… AIR AND WATERWelsh farmer fined for silt pollution incidentA farmer who polluted a two-mile stretch of a South Wales watercourse with silt during flood alleviation work has been fined by magistrates. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) was alerted to… BIODIVERSITYNorth Lincs Environmental Farmers Group set for expansionThe Environment Farmers Group (EFG) is setting its sights on further expansion, with one of its subgroups having secured more corporate sponsorship. The northern Lincolnshire EFG is one of ten… AGRICULTURAL TRANSITIONFood production at risk due to climate targets, study findsFood production in the UK could decline by up to 25% if the most ambitious climate targets are enacted, according to a report by Natural England. The government agency has… CARBONDefra urged to subsidise methane suppressants in cattleIndependent think tank Green Alliance is urging the government to make the use of methane suppressants in dairy and beef systems a Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFI) option. It says that… NEWSDefra presses on with Dartmoor Review recommendationsThe Tenant Farmers Association has welcomed confirmation that Defra is pressing ahead with recommendations in the Dartmoor Review, including the establishment of a new land use management group. The department… FARM POLICYReview of environmental targets launched by DefraThe government has announced plans to carry out a review of the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) to meet legally binding environmental targets. New Defra secretary Steve Reed said the “rapid… SHEEPGovernment policies driving destocking in uplandsUpland sheep farmers and industry groups have expressed concerns over extensive cuts to stocking numbers in upland areas and have called on the new government to address the problem. The… NEWSIndependent chair of Welsh water quality review appointedNFU Cymru has welcomed the Welsh government’s decision to appoint Susannah Bolton as independent chairwoman to review water quality regulations in Wales. Dr Bolton is vice-principal for enterprise and knowledge… ENVIRONMENTFarmers voice opposition to Picklescott woodland projectThe public is being asked to have their say on the design of a new Coronation wood which would replace highly productive farmland in the Shropshire Hills. Forestry England has… VideoSee all AIR AND WATERVideo: FW Investigates - would dredging reduce flooding?The past few months of relentless wet weather have again highlighted the pressing issue of how best to manage rivers and watercourses near farmland. Heavy rainfall events are becoming more… NEWSVideo: Farmer defends his actions on River LuggA Herefordshire farmer who was jailed for causing damage to a protected river has defended his actions, insisting they helped prevent flooding to local properties and land. Several homes along… SHEEPVideo: How a lowland farm is preparing for low-methane sheepResults from the first UK farm to test methane emissions in sheep using portable accumulation chambers have shown they were producing on average about 20g/day of methane and 1.2kg/day of… CARBONClimate adaptation and resilience within the farm businessOn Thursday 27 April 2023, Farmers Weekly hosted its webinar on climate adaptation and resilience within the farm business with the Woodland Trust. Integrating trees into farming systems provides opportunities…
